Floral Etched Glass Vase

Floral Etched Glass Vase

A simple dollar store glass vase can turn into a stunning collector’s piece in just a few minutes with etchall Etching Creme!

You will need:

etchall Etching Creme and squeegee

Large plastic container of water

Clean dry paper towels

1 large squared glass vase with flat sides

Contact paper 

Diecut machine and floral die of your choice (I used Sizzix Big Shot and Vine die)

Optional: Faber Castell Gelatos in colors of your choice and makeup sponge applicator

Here’s how:

1. Prepare your work surface. (Note: I used a combination of protective surfaces to do my project so I could photograph each step.)  Wash and dry your glass vase.   

2. Cut the vine (or other floral shape) from Contact paper.  (Note: I added a layer of cellophane to the back of the Contact paper to add stability/thicknesss and prevent sticky residue from adhering to my die cut machine.) You can do this by using a die and die cut machine OR cutting a shape by hand.

  You will have both a positive vine shape AND the negative vine piece.  For this project, you will use the negative vine.  (Note: Save the positive vine shape to use for another project!) 

3. Place the negative vine on the vase, positioned as desired.  

     

    Burnish securely to the glass with the squeegee.

4. Apply a generous amount of the etchall Etching Creme over the exposed areas of the slide.  Set aside for 15 minutes for the etchall Etching Creme to do its magic!

5. After 15 minutes, use the squeegee to remove the etchall Etching Creme and return the creme into the container.  Yes…the etchall Etching Creme can be used over and over and over again!  Amazing, isn’t it?!  

6. Carefully remove the negative vine and wash the glass thoroughly in a large plastic container of water.  Dry well. 

7. If you want a simple vase, you can stop here. 

8. If you want a second vine on the opposite side of the base, repeat steps 1 through 6 on the opposite side.

  Add a parrot to the display and…voile!  Instant rainforest decor! (Just kidding!)

Note:  Many of you who follow my blog are already acquainted with Ollie, my crafty companion.  One of the wonderful things about etchall Etching Creme is there are NO toxic fumes and it cleans up so easily!  Ollie watched the entire project taking place and voiced his approval many times during the process.  He is trained to “not touch” and was returned to his cage during any step that might have had potential risk to his safety and impulse control.  He was so excited to be part of the photo shoot he stepped right off my hand and on top of the vase to pose for the camera!

9. Creative Options: Take this gorgeous etched design one step further by adding color onto the etched areas.  

    Apply Gelatos of your choice by rubbing them onto the etched vine sections on the vase.  

    Allow to dry for about an hour and gently wipe off excess color.  

Disclaimer: Since the etchall Etching Creme etches porcelain, as well as glass, please do not use the creme or rinse the project in a porcelain or fiberglass sink or surface.  The best surfaces to use when doing these projects are plastic or stainless steel.

Etched Glass Necklace

Etched Glass Necklace

Transform a simple microscope slide into a beautiful necklace pendant!

Etching glass changes more than just turning a transparent material into a translucent one.  It also changes the surface texture to become receptive for a variety coloring mediums. While this pendant can also be an outstanding statement in simplicity, you can also go one step further to jazz it up a notch by adding pops of color with metallic pencils.

You will need:

etchall Etching Creme and squeegee

Plastic container of water

Clean dry paper towels

2 glass microscope slides

Plastic shipping tape

Metallic colored pencils in colors of your choice

Felt, leather or other backing material of your choice.

Adhesive for glass that dries clear 

Cord in the length of your choice

Here’s how:

1. Prepare your work surface. (Note: I used a combination of protective surfaces to do my project so I could photograph each step.)  Wash and dry your glass microscope slides.
2. Cut narrow angled strips of shipping tape that are wider than the microscope slide.  Position and attach to one of the slides, as desired.  
   
3. Burnish the strips securely to the glass with the squeegee. 
   
4. Apply a generous amount of the etchall Etching Creme over the exposed areas of the slide.  Set aside for 15 minutes for the etchall Etching Creme to do its magic!  
   
5. After 15 minutes, use the squeegee to remove the etchall Etching Creme and return the creme into the container.  Yes…the etchall Etching Creme can be used over and over and over again!  Amazing, isn’t it?!  Remove and discard the tape strips and wash the glass thoroughly in a plastic container of water.  Dry well.  
   
6. If you want a simple pendant, you can proceed straight to step 7.  
   
7. If you want color on your pendant, simply color the etched areas with metallic pencils in the colors of your choice. 
   
    As you can see, I used a rainbow approach. 
   
   
   
   
8. Apply a light, even coat of glue onto one side of the second microscope slide. (Note: I just dabbed the glue on with a piece of paper towel.) Gently position and press the glued side onto the colored side of the etched slide. Match the edges and let dry.  
   
9. Cut a backing piece of felt, leather or backing material of your choice that is 2” longer and 1/2” wider than the microscope slide measurements.  Glue the glass pendant onto the backing material as shown.  
   
10. Fold the top over to the back to create a casing; glue in place.  When completely dry, trim as desired.  Thread the cord through the casing.  
    
    
    
    

Disclaimer: Since the etchall Etching Creme etches porcelain, as well as glass, please do not use the creme or rinse the project in a porcelain or fiberglass sink or surface.  The best surfaces to use when doing these projects are plastic or stainless steel.

Stamped and Etched Slate Magnet with etchall Etching Creme!

Etching a slate tile can be as easy as stamping, heat embossing and applying etchall Etching Creme!

Create a beautiful grunge etched butterfly magnet using a 2" slate tile and this pretty butterfly rubber stamp!

You will need:
etchall Etching Creme
etchall Applicator Spatula
1 slate tile
C7782 Butterfly 3 (Impression Obsession)
Top Boss clear embossing ink (Clearsnap)
Clear Embossing powder
Heat tool

Also have ready:
Bowl of clean water
Non-latex gloves
Paper Towels or other clean towel

Here's how:

1. Clean your slate tile with dishwashing liquid; rinse and dry. 
2. Stamp your butterfly on the tile. Sprinkle clear embossing powder over the stamped image; tap off excess. 

3. Heat with a heat gun. 
    NOTE: Be patient.  It takes longer for the embossing powder to melt on this surface.

4. Using the applicator spatula, generously apply etchall Etching Creme over the top of the slate tile.

5. Set a timer for 15 minutes. When the time is up, gently scrape off the etchall Etching Creme from the tile and place it back into the bottle.  It is reusable!

6. Put the gloves on and submerge in the water to gently rinse any remaining etchall Etching Creme remaining on the tile. NOTE how the tile color is now grey instead of black!  That is because the etchall Etching Creme etched the slate!

7. Remove the gloves and gently scrape the embossed outline off the slate tile.  The butterfly image will remain because it was not etched!  How cool is this??!!

8. Attach a magnetic backing to your tile and use as a magnet!  OR...attach a jewelry finding to crate a pin....use as part of a mixed media project...or create several different tiles. Let your imagination fly!

Etching a Glass Pickle Jar with etchall Etching Creme!

Do you like to play it "safe" or do you like to step outside your comfort zone sometimes and try a craft you've never done before?  I'm kind of split on it because sometimes it is easier to just stay with what is familiar.  Not sure what drives me--or keeps me so engaged--but I've loved paper crafts for so long, I don't even remember a time when I didn't have inky fingers or a work table buried in scraps of paper and stamps.  I will try anything new that is any way related to ink, stamps, stencils, or can be done on or with paper.   I may not do all techniques all the time or use all the materials long term, but basically if it is something that allows me to use my existing skills, I'm always up for the challenge!

But...once in a while a creative opportunity comes along that has little or nothing to do with stamping, inky techniques or even paper.  Unless it involves materials I cannot use because I'm chemically sensitive--and, of course, sharing my environment with my parrot, Ollie-- it is hard to pass up the fun of learning new crafts and trying something I've never done before.

I was recently asked to join the etchall Ambassador team...and I jumped at the chance! I was a tiny bit hesitant at first, but I can now confidently say I have etched glass....and it was SUPER EASY to do!

The process is quick...and results are AMAZING!  The most important things to remember are (1) think though your project so you know what you want to accomplish, (2) prepare for each step by having all necessary materials gathered and ready, and (3) test the etching creme in an inconspicuous spot before beginning the project to make sure the glass is the kind that can be etched. It is literally THAT easy!

For my first project, I decided to repurpose a glass pickle jar so I can prep and serve my own pickled cucumbers, beans or other veggies.

Here's how:

1. Wash the jar thoroughly with dishwashing liquid, rinse and dry with a clean towel.  I was extra careful so I also cleaned the glass surface with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol right before I began the project.

2. Instead of using a cutting machine and adhesive sticker paper to create my own stencil design, I decided to use masking tape plus metallic border stickers I already had in my craft stash.

 

3. I wrapped the stickers and masking tape around the jar as shown. 

4. The jar circumference was larger than the length of the sticker so I cut another smaller piece and added it into the gap.

5. Once I burnished everything securely onto the glass, it was time to apply the etchall creme.

It is meant to be applied generously with a little spatula that comes with it.  

6. Once the creme was applied, I set my timer for 15 minutes.  I actually wound up with a phone call that extended my time to 22 minutes but that was no big deal.  The etchall creme won't etch too much if it sits a little longer.  It just needs a minimum of 15 minutes.

The cool thing was I could actually see the results of the etching process by the time the timer rang!


7. Next I removed the creme from the jar.  Yes!  No waste because the creme is RE-USABLE!  How cool is that?!  So I used my little handy dandy spatula, scooped off as much of the creme as possible and slid it off into the jar to use for another project in the near future.


8. After that, I rinsed remaining creme off the jar in a plastic bowl filled with clean water.  One thing to remember is the etching creme will etch anything glass (like fiberglass) and porcelain, but won't affect plastic.  So I had my rinse bowl already set up and ready to go.

9. Last step is to remove all the stickers and tape.  A little sticky residue remained but I cleaned that off with a little abrasive sponge afterward. 

SO EASY!  Go check out the etchall website for more information, videos, tutorials, projects...and all the cool etching products and possibilities!

Until next time....